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Uncomfortable with the memory, I scratched at the back of my neck and stared at the floor “We both kno that played out Jesus, I’m lucky I didn’t kill Leo that day I could’ve With my bare hands But it was you that stopped me The look on your face Fuck, you hatedon how I’dout how to live without me”

“I had to,” she whispered,my head jerk up in surprise

“What?” I croaked

“I had to figure out how to live without you,” she said, her voice almost soundless “The other choice wasn’t an option”

“I thought you’d wait”

“If you’d have given any indication that I should,” she said gently, “I would’ve”

“Fuck,” I whispered “Fuck”

“I was never with Leo,” Cecilia said, her voice still low “Not after you He was just a good friend that knew seeing you was going to hurt me He made it easier the only way he kne”

“By acting like the two of you were together?” I asked in disbelief

“Bysure that you wouldn’t come back,” she clarified

“He did that,” I confir back for alht of Cecilia and Leo together Iuts twist

“You broke me,” she said siain”

“That was never my intention,” I replied I didn’t kno to explain that I’d been i would be okay, that so that she’d still be there when I got ether I honestly hadn’t even realized back then that I’d had the power to break her

“Intention matters less than people think,” she said quietly “I needed you”

“I know”

“Do you knohat it was like?” she asked, her voice still quiet “Calling yourfor you, only to find out that you’d left? You didn’t even tell me”